ABOUT US AND OUR TEAM

WHY DOES THE STREET SOCCER FOUNDATION EXIST?

To bring the power of football into communities nationwide; and to inspire and encourage vulnerable and homeless young people to turn their lives around for the better.

The Street Soccer Foundation works in a collaborative manner with Football Club delivery partners nationwide using football as a catalyst to improve the lives of vulnerable and homeless young people across the country.

The Foundation was established in 2015 with the goal of driving change in the country using the power of football. We understand that football is an incredible engagement tool because of its role as the global no.1 sport which is why we have adopted football as our means to attract, engage and inspire young people, especially those currently experiencing homelessness.

Since our initial collaboration with West Ham Utd and the West Ham Utd Foundation, we have made huge strides in helping homeless and vulnerable young people across the country by educating, motivating and supporting them. Our achievements include receiving national acclaim from the likes of The Premier League, PFA, FA, the BBC and ITV.

We have now grown to become the leading football-led project specifically tackling youth homelessness in England with several delivery partnerships with professional Football Clubs and their community teams.

Youth Homelessness is a major social problem.

Young people (aged below 25) with experiences of homelessness are one of the most vulnerable groups in our society. It is an extremely isolating and destructive experience - which is why the Street Soccer Foundation exists. To help see an end to youth homelessness across England - through partnerships and collaborations using the number 1 sport in the world: the power of football.

Back in 2016, our Street Soccer Academy run in partnership with West Ham United was featured on the world-renowned ‘Match of the Day’ TV show on BBC1. The video here features young Jodie, who came onto our course as a 19-year old living in temporary sheltered accommodation. Completing the course, Jodie interviewed with the BBC, and went on to be successfully selected to represent England at the Homeless World Cup in Glasgow later that year. Jodie is now a Young Ambassador for the Foundation.

Our Street Soccer Academy and Street Soccer School programmes unite people from all different kinds of backgrounds. Through football, individuals come together to support a greater sense of well-being within their local community. Helping people to realise their true potential.

ABOUT OUR FOUNDER

Keith is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur and business leader recognised by the Centre for Entrepreneurs (CfE) and The Sunday Times as one of the UK’s most successful Businessmen supporting the next generation. In his younger days, Keith played for Millwall, Gillingham and Charlton Athletic but never quite made the grade to become a full-time professional footballer. Keith formed The Street Soccer Foundation in 2015 after learning of Homelessness statistics across England. He wanted to help the situation to benefit local communities and make a difference in young people’s lives knowing the power of football. After receiving (non-financial) support from the PFA and securing an initial delivery partnership with a Premier League Football Club, the Street Soccer Foundation was up and running and hasn't looked back since.

kcm headshot

Keith Mabbutt, Founder & CEO

OUR STREET SOCCER UTD TEAM

The Street Soccer Foundation leadership team is a dynamic mix of individuals with various levels of experience and expertise. Fundamentally, every one of the team have a common purpose: to make a difference to as many vulnerable young people as possible -  and all our team understand our 'WHY'. Why we do what we do at the Foundation.

Also presented here are our amazing Volunteers and Contributors who help our Foundation in specific areas.

Click on any of our team members to learn more about them and what they do outside of the Foundation, and why they support us in the manner they do.

Street Soccer Utd: Trustees

Street Soccer Foundation - Laurence Hayes
Laurence Hayes - FD

Laurence has more than 20 years’ corporate finance and fund management experience advising on transactions with a total value in excess of £15 billion.

He is also a comedy novelist, researcher in Artificial Intelligence at Imperial College London, and founding alumnus of Google's Singularity University at NASA Ames Research Center.

“Once Keith formed The Street Soccer Foundation and told me as to why he had done so I immediately wanted to support him. The work of the Foundation is crucial to give disadvantaged young people a supporting hand to develop and create a better future for themselves.”

Street Soccer Foundation - Keith Mabbutt
Keith Mabbutt - CEO

As Founder & CEO, Keith leads by example and oversees both the delivery of the Academy programmes and the overall growth and development of the Foundation.

“Ultimately, The Street Soccer Foundation is a non-profit charitable partnership. A collective of game-changing minds all committed to wanting to help end youth unemployment and homelessness in this Country and to inspire the next generation to believe in themselves to affect the best possible outcomes”.

Street Soccer Foundation - Tim Wilson
Tim Wilson - Advisor
Tim has 25 years' experience in strategy consulting, helping shape organisations of all types and leading strategically significant projects. He has worked with Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the UK Civil Service, among others, and with Skating Panda, a communications and strategy agency specialising in social impact. His football playing is limited to school teams, long ago. The highlight was being in goal during the penalty shoot out for the final of the county tournament. He's still thinking of how he should have kept out the winner. A lifelong Newcastle Utd supporter. "I believe Street Soccer gives people the things everyone needs for a fulfilling life: a passion, a positive mindset and the skills to make the most of these."

Street Soccer Utd: The Squad

Street Soccer Foundation - Joe Bennett
Joe Bennett - Social Media Manager
With a degree in Psychology, Joe always has what the customer is thinking in the back of his head while he is optimizing for search engines and creating engaging content, and is often found engrossed in SEO podcasts and YouTube videos! Working alongside Karl Cowell, Joe is the partner at JK Online. Together with Karl, both have years’ of experience and is delighted to be able to support The Street Soccer Foundation, taking charge of the social media management across all platforms and channels.
Street Soccer Foundation - Briony Chaplin
Briony Chaplin - Designer
I have extensive experience as a Marketing, Events and Design practitioner within the charitable foundation sector with previous roles including Communications Manager for the Federation of British Artists and Head of Corporate Events at the Wallace Collection Gallery in London. I studied History of Art at University College London (UCL) and Graphic Design at the University of the Arts. I bring a creative side to the Street Soccer Foundation, producing marketing and design material for our programme outreach work. "It is so inspiring to watch the young people on our programmes blossom as they start to believe in themselves and gain the confidence to find their pathways in life. I am privileged to be able to work with the Street Soccer Foundation as it strives to make a real difference".
Street Soccer Foundation - Karl Cowell
Karl Cowell - Web Design / Social Media
Karl has 7 years’ experience in Social and Events Management. Creating social content and graphics in the nightlife industry, Karl has turned his artistic flair to websites having launched his own company in partnership with Joe Bennett. Karl has also wrote for the Metro Online. His company, JK Online, are online specialists located in Kent providing affordable websites for those starting up in business or looking for a refresh. They have years of experience in a host of industries but love coming up with creative content for any market. www.wearejk.co.uk. Karl now leads on all the social media management across all platforms and channels for and on behalf of the Foundation.
Street Soccer Foundation - Louise Green
Louise Green - School Programme Manager
Throughout Louise's career she has been motivated in roles which she can actively make a difference to the outcomes of others, focussed on enabling others to reach their full potential. Louise gained her nursing degree before training in counselling (BCAP), NLP, social care (C&G), child protection trainer and DSL. Louise holds management roles in mainstream primary and secondary education, SEN schools, children’s homes, and fostering agencies, delivering a range of case work, PHSE and holistic therapeutic interventions to improve the outcomes of vulnerable families, children and young people across Kent. ‘The Street Soccer Foundation is focussed on improving the outcomes of children and young people and recognises early intervention is paramount. I am passionate about bringing my experience to the foundation to lead the schools programme, focussing on early intervention, inclusion, and supporting social and emotional health and well-being, that is the foundation for successful future outcomes.’
Street Soccer Foundation - Adam Irvine
Adam Irvine - National Fundraising Manager
Adam is an experienced fundraiser specialising in grants, trusts and foundations, as well as advising on other aspects of charitable income generation. Working within the industry since 2008, Adam has developed a wide skill set and deep understanding of how to maximise charity income, working with some of the Country's leading sports clubs, organisations and charities, on delivering crucial projects from a region-wide sports participation project engaging tens of thousands of young people, to working with a support partner for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. "Street Soccer Foundation is a forward thinking, passion driven, proactive charity which despite its relative infancy has already made an enormous impact on the lives of people who are homeless. We should be embarrassed by the numbers of homelessness in this country, which is why I love the work of the Foundation and strive each day to not just reduce the numbers, but eradicate it now and for the future."
Evie Kennedy Street Soccer Foundation Media Director
Evie Kennedy - Head of PR & Media Relations
Evie is the founder and director of Evoque Communications, a lifestyle and travel public relations consultancy based in Kent. Specialising in consumer PR, we will work as an extension of your team to increase brand awareness and offer a fresh approach into marketing and communications. From developing strategy and brand messaging to managing social media and creating brand partnerships, Evie has experience and expertise to create dynamic multimedia campaigns. Having worked with tourist boards in the USA, to country house hotels and boutique holiday lets in the UK, Evoque Communications has established relationships with key lifestyle and travel editors and knows how to create stories to get in front of the right people and publications. Evoque Communications was established to help brands/ charities with purpose, and close to Evie's heart with an aim to help them grow and gain the recognition they deserve.
Street Soccer Foundation - Sandra Lamb
Sandra Lamb - Mental Wellbeing Mentor
Sandra has over 33 years experience supporting clients make positive change in their lives by improving physical and emotional wellbeing. She is a Chartered Physiotherapist, a psychological therapist, mentor and Pilates Instructor. Sandra has worked in both public and private sector roles in the past but now runs her own Practice in Rainham, Kent called BodyMind Solutions. “It’s wonderful to be part of the Street Soccer Foundation Team, supporting Young People in fun, engaging ways that mean that they can reach their full potential"
Street Soccer Foundation - Ash Lawrence
Ash Lawrence - Head Mindset & Mentoring Coach

Ash has a PhD in Business and Sports Psychology and Philosophy. He helps various elite sports and business people overcome limiting thought patterns that prevent them performing at the very highest level. A fully qualified NLP Master Practitioner and graduate of The Masterclass of Corporate Coaching from The Coaching Academy, he has been trained by some of the leading NLP trainers in the world including John Seymour, Paul McKenna and Dr Richard Bandler. Ash is also a fully qualified Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT) and specialises in Mindset re-programming for life success. Ash works with numerous professional footballers both in the Premier League and EFL and a number of elite sportsmen and women across a variety of other sports including Cricket, Swimming, Athletics, Golf and Tennis. “The Street Soccer Foundation is providing a much needed service to young homeless people. Football is a fantastic way to get young people back into stable housing and full-time employment and we’re achieving on doing just that.”

Street Soccer Foundation - Adam Lawrence
Adam Lawrence - Education & Coaching Advisor

Adam has developed great experience within the education & training and charity sectors, having previously held roles as the Chief Executive Officer of Gillingham Football Club Community Trust, as well as delivering education at professional football clubs as a qualified teacher.

Having previously gained a degree in Sports Development and Coaching Sciences at Bournemouth University and later completing a PGCE in Secondary Education, Adam has a track record of developing unique education and training provisions for groups across the South East.

A qualified PE teacher, Adam also has good experience and understanding of schools, and of delivering sports sessions and projects to young people.

“The Street Soccer Foundation has such passion to support vulnerable people through sport. I am honoured to be a part of the team, which strives daily to develop innovative and unique projects to help others.”

Street Soccer Foundation - Chris Newberry
Chris Newberry - Head of Video Production
Chris has over 20 years’ experience in professional film and video production. From corporates and commercials through to narrative films. He loves creativity and how it can help deliver a message. He is the Managing Director of Wildwood Media, a full service production house, which works with clients nationwide producing original content for web, internal and external uses. He produces classic corporates, animation, 'outside-the-box' ideas, aerial filming and photography and 360 video. Chris has a strong focus on CSR and organisations, charities and companies that are trying to help people and make the world a better place. “This is why we are delighted to be working with The Street Soccer Foundation.”
Street Soccer Foundation - Andrew Norton
Andrew Norton - Football Coach & Tutor
A 1st class honours graduate from the University of Kent, Andrew has spent the past 6 years working extensively across multiple sports/exercise disciplines in strength and conditioning, football coaching and sports massage, having qualified in all of the above fields. A keen interest to detail and intrigue to learn more has seen Andrew seize upon every opportunity that he has been presented with at Street Soccer. I support the Street Soccer Foundation because it gives me the opportunity to impart the knowledge I’ve learnt to people who want to make a difference and do something they enjoy.
Street Soccer Foundation - Simon Rogers
Simon Rogers - Mental Wellbeing Mentor
Simon has worked with thousands of clients across Europe for over 15 years. He has helped them solve long-standing stress-related upper back and neck pain leading them to live more successful and fulfilling lives. He’s found that working with people as people, physically, emotional and mentally rather than focusing only on their symptoms allows them to work at the root cause. This provides them with not only a lasting solution to their pain but means that they can fall in love with a life that they are now consciously creating. He’s recently also co-authored 3 book on ‘Back Pain’, ‘Confidence’ and ‘Energy’ with all becoming Amazon Bestsellers and 2 becoming Amazon #1 Bestsellers.
Street Soccer Foundation - Kay Skelton
Kay Skelton - Head of Community
Kay has vast experience working across all levels of the football pyramid and supports the Foundation in the role of Head of Community. With a natural ability to engage with Schools, Colleges, young people and the Business Community, Kay oversees localised delivery of the Academy ensuring that each programme attracts sufficient support and involvement from various stakeholders.
Katy Skelton
Katy Skelton - Football Coach & Tutor
Street Soccer Foundation - Paul Stewart
Paul Stewart - Designated Safeguarding Lead & Ambassador

Paul Stewart is an English former professional footballer who played top flight football for Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, and was capped three times at senior level for England. Having started his professional career at Blackpool, Paul was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield in April 2006. In November 2016, Paul came forward as a victim of child sexual and physical abuse when he played at youth level. He released his autobiography in September 2017, ‘Damaged’ – Paul Stewart, My Story. Paul is an Ambassador for The Street Soccer Foundation and leads on our Club liaison with partnering football clubs delivering our programmes nationwide.

Street Soccer Foundation - Kevin Tewis-Allen
Kevin Tewis-Allen - CMO

A visionary entrepreneurial commercial marketing strategist who leads with game changing ideas from concept to delivery. Most famed for his work towards the Gen-Z audience in entertainment, creative agency and professional services but also millennials through his work with Facebook and UNILAD.

“My aim has always been to be a strong change agent, to cut through the noise, positively disrupt markets in order to create sustainable, LOVED challenger brands. My ethos is that It’s not about being first anymore, it’s about being the best on a regular basis.”

Street Soccer Foundation - Chris Verbiest
Chris Verbiest - Head of IT
I first start ‘Verbo Computers’ as a one-man band previously established the business in the London Docklands area in 1998. After relocating to Gravesend in Kent in 2001, we have since grown to a company with staff. Our excellent IT support in Hardware & Software offers a wide range of products based on over 30+ years’ experience in the IT industry. My initial knowledge started from electronic design at Queen Mary & Westfield College. We are now a specialist in client security / virus / malware removal, Office 365 cloud and cloud backup. We are gold partners of F-Secure and have been using their award winning software since 2005. I am delighted to be supporting the Street Soccer Foundation to help look after all its IT support.
Street Soccer Foundation - Freddie Wilson
Wayne Wilson - Partnerships Advisor
A highly experienced professional and semi-professional footballer, coach, manager & all things post 16 education with a passion for coaching and development. Experience with mentoring and coaching at community and elite level and managing an Apprenticeship programme with £1m worth of income mentoring young coaches to be able to support the delivery of PE and School Sport. Possesses excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills and the ability to maintain relationships and levels of excellent performance with players and coaches. Enjoys being part of, as well as managing, motivating and training, a successful and productive team and thrives in professional and highly pressurised environments.
Street Soccer Foundation - Sarah Luk-Yan
Sarah Yuk-Lan Brown - Mental Wellbeing Mentor
Sarah's background is in the corporate world and not for profit sector, with experience spanning over 20 years. She has worked for innovative startups and established organisations which effect positive change at both a national and international level. Her career started at The Carbon Trust where she lead pilot projects for new products and services, she was also an active member of the campaigns team at the Confederation of British Industry, delivering high-profile conferences on public service reform. In 2018, Sarah founded Panda CoLabs, a small consultancy, using her knowledge and expertise to help small businesses, which eventually led her to mentoring and coaching her clients. In 2020, Sarah became certified as a Transformational Coach and now works with Executives, Freelancers and Business Owners to facilitate personal growth and change on a deeper and long lasting level. Sarah joined our schools mentoring team in 2020. She feels very strongly about helping children and young people to support them through difficulties, teaching them life skills, facilitating a growth mindset early on in life to empower them to grow into the people they want to be.
Abbie Gilbert - Street Soccer Foundation Mentor
Abbie Gilbert - Mental Wellbeing Mentor
Supporting young people is my true passion. Creating happy and healthy environments for those who are vulnerable to learn and grow. From motivating and confidence building to supporting young people to reach their end goal. It is a passion of mine to help others see their full potential. I am engaging and fun, whilst adopting all the qualities of an exceptional listener. Being sincere and treating everyone as an individual has led me to 10 years success in the mentoring field. “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.”
Penny Reid - Street Soccer Academy mentor
Penny Reid - Mental Wellbeing Mentor
Throughout my career, I have worked in both the public and private sectors. However over the last 16 years I have worked in education, primarily within secondary schools.The last five years saw me working at Westminster Academy as Corporate Services Executive, a role which had overall responsibility for all of the business functions in this stand alone Academy. With a law degree, and a diploma in Human Resources I was also responsible for leading on the compliance and statutory requirements. Westminster Academy is situated in the sixth most deprived area of London and I was able to see first hand what a difference great education and amazing opportunities made to these young people. I am passionate about supporting young people with their next pathways, and understand through my work in both sectors how crucial it is to help prepare them for the world of work. In September, I started up my own business consultancy; Eximia, which was created especially to support schools with their business functions, underpinning all of the work that takes place inside the classroom. This has allowed me to work with more schools both in Kent and internationally. In all of the roles that I have undertaken in education, I have always, and will continue to put the students and our young people at the heart of what I deliver.

HELP US AND GET INVOLVED WITH THE STREET SOCCER FOUNDATION

Like football, it’s a team game. The Street Soccer Foundation is a national partnership-led social project. We count on the support of local employers across the Country from various different sectors; business professionals and the general public; and football fans in general to team up with us to make a genuine impact for the benefit of vulnerable and homeless young people in communities nationwide.

We’re always happy to hear from individuals who have key strengths they can bring to the team along with a passion for helping others. And with the help of our valued supporters and official Club Members, we continue to change lives.

GET INVOLVED AND BECOME A CLUB MEMBER!

If you’d like to get involved and help support your local community please get in touch with us via the Contact page.

Together, CHANGING LIVES THROUGH FOOTBALL.